Frown
by ScorchingCold
Summary: Set near the beginning of season 2, well before the party. "There's something wrong with Otis," Ola mused. "There's a lot wrong with Otis. Do you want a list? Because I have a list." Lily replied.


Ola and Lily meet up at the school steps. Otis and Ola rode in together, but split up so she could say hi to Lily and he could do his clinic arrangements for the day with Maeve. It was an unspoken arrangement, but it suited her. She wasn't confronted with the lioness every day, and she trusted Otis enough for this. Maeve always kept it remarkably short and businesslike, anyway.

"There's something wrong with Otis," Ola mused.

"There's a lot wrong with Otis. Do you want a list? Because I have a list." Lily replied.

Used to Lily's way of conversation by now, she let it slide right off her and replied, "I think something is bothering him."

"What makes you think so?"

"It's just, when he thinks no one is watching, and he's not doing anything, he always spaces out. Like he's a million miles away," Ola said, herself deep in thought.

"That's not something wrong, that's Otis. It's number 17 on the list. Are you sure you don't want a copy?"

"No, that's fine," Ola smiled.

"Well… I hope he figures it out before whatever's bothering him starts bothering you, too.", Lily said compassionately.

"Thanks. Did you want to study for aptitude later?"

"Sure. Seven at your place." Lily decided.

* * *

Lily skipped greetings and immediately said, "So Otis has gotten worse."

Ola was surprised. Maybe she shouldn't be, with Lily. "How do you know?"

"It's the frown. After you mentioned something was bothering him, I started observing him -"

"Of course you did.", Ola interrupted with a smile.

Lily continued as if uninterrupted, "- And he's frowning a lot more than when I observed him last term."

"You were observing him last term? Do you secretly fancy my boyfriend?," Ola queried, without any sting in her voice. She knew Lily well enough, she wouldn't do that to her.

"Please. He has nothing to offer me. Even if he did help me."

"I didn't know you had dealings with my boyfriend before.", Ola asked, curious now.

"Not my story to tell, I don't think. Anyway. If his frowning keeps increasing at the current rate, by my calculations, he will be all frown within four months. After that, I can only assume his frown will consume his own face and it will require Glenoxi's anti-doom ray just to let him speak."

* * *

Ola pulled away from Otis. "Now you're even frowning when we're making out?"

Otis frowned. "Frowning?"

"It's something Lily said. That you're frowning more than last term."

Otis veered upright. "You talked to Lily about me?" He squeaked.

Ola filed that away as an interesting tidbit. "I used to be able to get you to stop frowning. Just by hanging out, having fun. I quite liked that I could stop your frown, actually. But now you frown a lot. Even with me."

Otis thought this whole conversation a bit odd, but saw the humorous side. "Well," he smiled, "I'm sorry I frown a lot. Henceforth, I will try to contain my frown."

Ola smiled. He didn't make a big deal out of it. Maybe that was good news. And the frown did disappear. "Come on, I'll let you beat me at Smash Bros."

* * *

Otis surprised her this afternoon. "I wanted to make it up to you. What do you say I get us tickets to a show tonight, and dinner reservations before that?"

"Oh, sorry, but not tonight," Ola replied, "I promised my dad I'd taxi him back home from his last customer tonight, and then Lily is coming over to study. But it's a sweet thought." Ola patted him on his arm.

"Oh. No worries, another time then?"

"Definitely. See you at my place tomorrow morning before school?"

"Of course."

Otis frowned. If that was a rejection to hang out, that should probably bother him. And it did. But not a lot. Maybe just enough? His relationship seemed fine. It's normal for boyfriend and girlfriend to have lives outside of their relationship. Everything was normal. He'd think more about it tomorrow.

* * *

"This entire Glenoxi universe. Did you come up with that all on your own?" Ola wondered, wandering around the room slash space story setting.

"I did. Took me most of three years to work out the art style and story setting, but I'm happy with it now. Took a lot of inspiration from Tank Girl. And tentacle porn." Lily was proud of her creation, and smiled while explaining her creation. She felt it important that Ola understood.

"Really? I love Tank Girl. And this is really good. I see the influence, but somehow, it's still all you."

Lily smiled brighter. "Thanks. Now it just needs a more experienced writer."

"Who writes it now?"

"Me."

"Are we still talking about the writing?"

"Maybe."

"You draw a lot of penises for not having experience. You know, Otis squeaked when I told him you were observing him last year."

Lily felt Otis intruding on their moment. "Oh. He knows I did. I told you he helped me."

"What, get experience?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Not directly. He helped me figure something out… You know, I don't ever let anyone in my room. Or that I needed Otis' help."

"I really like you too," Ola smiled.

* * *

Ola frowned. This was getting ridiculous. "You're frowning again."

Otis let out a frustrated growl. "I know! Ever since you mentioned it, I notice it myself! I don't know why I do it, it's maddening! I promise you, I am trying."

"What are you trying?"

"To stop subconsciously frowning all the time. To make this work. To be a good, non-frowning boyfriend! I feel like this frown will eat my face one of these days. I really am trying very hard!"

"Sounds like you need Glenoxi's anti-doom ray," Ola muttered.

"What was that?"

Woops. Did she really just say that? "Nothing. You know, a relationship shouldn't be 'very hard work'."

"What? Of course it is! Every relationship needs effort. That's completely normal."

"Do you still like me?"

"Of course I do! That's why I do the effort!"

"Alright then," Ola smiled, as if she didn't just question her boyfriend, and maybe also herself. "Wanna watch a movie?"

* * *

"So I have an update on the frown front," Lily suddenly spoke up when sitting against Ola.

"Do you like observing Otis?" Ola wondered.

"Not Otis, per se. Weird people, yes. Otis is plenty weird. But him especially because maybe it would help you. Though maybe not this time."

"What do you mean, not this time?"

"You know I am honest to the point of crass, right?"

"Yes…?"

"Otis is frowning even more this week. But since the beginning of my observations, he's never frowned once… when talking to Maeve Wiley."

"What?"

"Look."

Ola looked in the distance, where Otis is discussing the clinic with Maeve, and it seems purely business. They're not smiling. But Otis is completely frown-free.

"Oh." She understands very well now.

"I'm sorry." Lily said. And Ola hears that she really means it.

Ola is surprised by her own lack of reaction. There's very little anger, or sadness, or jealousy. She won't admit, even to herself, that she does feel a bit of relief. "Don't be." She decides something. "Do you wanna hang out later?"

"Uh, sure? Although I don't think I am good at the comforting thing…"

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure we'll find something to do. You'll be perfect."

Ola gets up, and walks purposefully towards Otis and Maeve.

Maeve sees her first, and a corner of her mouth twitches down. But then it's gone, and she grabs her bag to get up and murmurs, "I will leave you two to it."

Ola feels very perceptive today, and is happy her plan seems to have chance of success She grabs Maeve's arm, "No, you need to hear this too, or he'll never get it."

Maeve is surprised, "Hear what?"

Otis frowns, "Get what?"

"You weren't frowning just now, Otis. Until I arrived, that is."

Maeve grasps the bewildering but seemingly safe topic, "You're right, that is odd. Otis normally never frowns. Sometimes he looks like the cookie monster, though." Woops, seems there's no such thing as a safe topic.

"You still remember that?," Otis smiles.

Ola feels even more confident now. "Tell her, Otis. I'll be at Lily's tonight, but I'll see you two tomorrow at school or around, yeah?"

And she walks off.

"What was that all about? Did Ola just break up with you in the smiliest possible way?"

"I… don't know? It sounded like that? Maybe?"

"Well, what did she mean with the frowning, then? What are you supposed to tell me?"

"I don't know! She and Lily have this whole thing where they observe how much I frown. Apparently, I've been frowning more and more."

"And? What's that have to do with… well, anything?"

"I really don't know. Ola said she liked that she could make me stop frowning, but that that's not the case anymore."

Maeve bites a nail. "I'm not sure what this means. You don't frown when I see you." But then she understands.

She'd have to do something nice for Ola. Maybe.

Otis is still trying to explain his frowning, and Ola's cryptic message.

"Otis."

"Yeah?"

"Stop talking. Do you want to work on our biology project together?"

Otis smiles. "I'd love to."


End file.
